KARACHI: Between the 15th and 17th centuries during the Samma era, the Jokhio, Kalmati and Burfat tribes were made responsible for protecting the caravans coming from what is now Kech district in southern Balochistan. By the 17th century, the three tribes ended up ruling small states during the rule of the Kalhoros and the Talpurs. With their protectors now lying in the same graves as those they governed, the Chowkandi graveyard is amongst the few symbols of the time that remain.

While the carvings on the rough stones remain, the area of the necropolis is slowly but surely being encroached upon. And the heritage site is once again embroiled in controversy.

The construction of an 85-foot wall at the back of the graveyard has become a bone of contention between the residents of the area and the provincial culture department. Backing the latter are activists and writers from among the residents of Daud Shorro Goth, many of whom have homes beyond and behind the necropolis.

Situated 29 kilometres from Karachi on an 84.6-acre piece of land near the National Highway, the front of the graveyard is manned by a sole guard who allows us in. In the scorching afternoon heat, a few men can be seen arguing with each other.

Hakim Deen Jokhio is currently looking over the case for the wall. A member of a rights organisation, Jokhio explains that the problem is an old one. “Those men standing a few feet away are still arguing with us, not wanting to leave their homes,” he explains.

“Little do they know that we don’t intend to displace them. But we do want to build the wall, which will demolish any illegally built home in its place. The property belongs to the heritage site.”

He points towards the beautifully carved graves that are symbolic of the craft’s popularity between the 13th and the 17th centuries. A few feet away, and standing out from the other graves, are white tombstones in the middle of the site.

“These have been built by the residents over the years, as Daud Shorro Goth in particular lacks a graveyard. Resultantly, most people build these illegal graves for their loved ones. It is not allowed or authorised by any department, but it happens,” says Jokhio.

A mix of ethnic groups can be found living behind the heritage site in homes that look as though they were built about a year ago — though the residents claim that they were built almost 25 years ago. Papers in hand, Mohammad Achaar Shorro shows us the registration of Daud Shorro Goth under the Benazirabad Scheme of the 1980s and says that their homes have been “built legally”.

This claim is explained by another activist, Mohammad Ibrahim, who says that Daud Shorro Goth itself was registered in the 1980s but the current crop of houses has not been registered.

Nearby, labourers work on the wall. A kilometre ahead of the recently added graves is the office of the contractor, Niaz Ahmed, who is working on the construction of the wall. “The wall has been under construction for the past one and a half years,” he tells the Dawn team. “Two months ago, the site engineers were asked by higher authorities to stop the work until further orders. We stopped, but then the other group demanded that we resume it.”

Ahmed says the work is now going on, but on a slow pace pending further orders.

Writer and historian Gul Hasan Kalmati is of the opinion that the “sanctity of the heritage site must be kept in mind”. Speaking of how the word “Chowkandi” became synonymous with the graveyard, he says “there are 40 similar graveyards, with the graves within them ranging in numbers from five to 150, in Karachi. Just the one on the National Highway is called Chowkandi because of the canopies atop the burial places.”

The graves with the stone carvings, which were discovered in the 18th century, are lying ignored and without much upkeep by the authorities, say residents and activists both. This is the only point on which they agree during the entire course of the interview. And yes, clearly the graveyard needs urgent attention.

As Kalmati adds: “The nearby Shah Latif Town does not have a proper graveyard and that is why there is so much burden on this historic site. Bodies are buried by a group of around 50 people who don’t listen to any attempt by the guard to stop them. In such a situation, where tempers are bound to rise, explanations about the importance of the site fall on deaf ears.”

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2017